How Journaling Changed my Life

And how it can change your life too…

I don’t exactly remember when I got my first journal but I do remember two significant moments when I was gifted journals that were life changing for me.

The first one was when my big sister in Christ, Donnette, gave me a cute small red journal with the scripture verse Philippians 4:8 on it when I was in high school. It was in that journal that I first found my authentic voice, started discovering who I truly was, wrote my first few poems, expressed my heart to God and wrote out my dreams and desires for the future.

The second significant moment was when my pastor’s wife gifted me a handsome large brown journal that said “There will never be anyone who is exactly like you, so go out and be the very best you that you can be.” Oh how those words inspired and encouraged me as I migrated to a new country, Jamaica, to start my medical school journey. Gosh, this journal helped to carry me through my first 2 years of medical school as many tears were shed as I wrote on the difficult days but also many small wins were documented on the good days for memory’s safe keeping.

Some people say journaling is not for everyone, but I believe journaling is for anyone who wants to find their way to becoming the best version of themselves. Journaling is for men and women, the young and the old, the intellectual AND the creative.
Esther

Brad Wilcox expressed it quite beautifully, “A personal journal is an ideal environment in which you “become”. It is the perfect place for you to think, feel, discover, expand, remember and dream.”

So how did journaling change my life (for the better)? Journaling:

Allowed me to identify negative thought patterns and perspectives of myself and the world (and then to combat them with the truth)
Allowed me to organize my thoughts, emotions, plans and goals
Provided a safe space for me to vent, express my deepest fears and dream big without the opinions of others
Helped me to feel more connected to God (through prayer journaling) and myself on those days I felt lost
Allowed me to document lessons learnt, trials overcome and victories won (which btw many times reading over them helped to pull me out of dark places)
Helped to release and forgive people from my past/present who hurt me (e.g.by writing letters to them or reminding myself of the good times with them etc.)
Lastly, was instrumental in my journey to self-forgiveness, self-love and self-actualization. Journaling combined with professional counselling and Jesus were the perfect recipe for healing and growth.

Journaling and writing in general is an amazing tool that we have been given to makes sense of ourselves and the world. It allows us to create and inspire, to discover and unravel, to make the most of the time we’ve been given and to leave a legacy behind us.

What can you write or journal about? The list is endless but here are just a few journal prompts:

Write out your strengths and weaknesses
How you envision your best self in the future
How your day or week was
What you are grateful for
Your dreams and goals (short and long term)
How you feel in a given moment

So, whether you use a journal with blank pages or a journal which guides you along with journal prompts, I encourage you to start writing today. You’ll be amazed at the difference it will make in your life!

Yours truly,

Dr. Esther Trotman (a.k.a. Star)

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